Knockdown tank



- Z. T. ELLIS KNOCKDOWN TANK Filed Feb. 14, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Aztornqy KNOCKDOWN TANK Filed Feb. 14, 1927 2 SheetsSheet 2 Inventor Am r72 21/ sateen ZACHARY '1. ELLIS, OIE DUNCAN, OKLAHOMA.

KNOGKDGl/VN TANK.

Application filed. February 14, 192?. Serial No. 168,111.

My present invention pertains to tanks for containing oil and other substance; and it contemplates the provision of a peculiar and advantageous knock down tank.

To the attainment of the foregoing the in of Figure .2, looking upwardly.

Figure at is an enlarged detail view illustrative of the elements that enter into each of the novel lock oint-s comprised in my novel tank, the said elements being shown as separated.

Figure -is an enlarged detail view illustrating one of the novel and advantageous lock joints as formed.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all of the views of the drawings.

The bottom and the top or deck of my novel tank are each formed of a circular series of sector shaped sheets 1, preferably of steel. In both the bottom and the top or deck the plurality of sheets 1 are groupedabout an annulus 2 having an upwardly entendin stem or circular flange and also having a head with channel portions 8 at opposite sides of the stem or flange, the stem or fiangebeing designated by 4. The stems or flanges of the annuli'2 are provided with apertures for the reception of tapered locking keys 5. It will also be understood that the inner ends of the sector shaped sheets 1 are bent upon themselves as designated by 6, and the bent portions are disposed in the heads 3 of the an nuli 2 after the manner shown in detail in Figure 5. It will also be understood that an annulus? of appropriate packing material or rather annuli 7 of appropriate packing material are arranged in the channel port-ions of the upper annulus 2, and when deemed expedient, similar annuli 7 of packing material may be arranged in the channel base portion of the lower annulus 2. Manifestly when the inner bent ends of the sector shaped sheets 1 are arranged as shown inFigure 5, and keys 5 are socketed in the apertures 8 of the annuli flanges or stems 4, the bent ends of the sheets 1 will be tightly and strongly held in engagement- *ith the annuli 2. 1 would also have it understood that I prefer to provide the inner end portions of the sheets 1 with lateral lugs 9, one of the lugs of each sheet 1 being arranged in aplane below the con'iplementary lug of the adjoining sheet 1 so as to rest under the last named lug in lapped relation, after the manner shown in Figure 1.

Within. the annuli 2 are arranged discs 10, also preferably of steel, which are engaged by'the keys 5 and are tightly held by the same down on the inner portion of the bases of the said annuli 2.

lntern'iediate of the edges of the sheets 1 are arranged the stems 11 of barsof T-form in cross section, the said stems 11 extending a consic'rerable distance above the sheets 1 at the bottom and top of the tank. The bases of the said bars of T-form in cross section are designated by 12 and are disposed immediately under the adjoining side edges of the sheets 1, and it will be readily noted that the said T-bars are maintained in posit-ion,and the sheets 1 are held tightly down on the heads 12 of the T-bars by transverse tapered keys 6 similar to the keys 5 before described, dis posed above and against the adjoining portions of the sheets 1 and also disposed in transverse apertures 13 in the stems 11 of the T- bars.

At 14, Figure 2, is a ladder, preferably of metal which I prefer to employ in the tank. The side stiles of the said ladder 1 1 are pro vided at their upper enus with inwardly bent arms, and the said arms are riveted or otherwise connected at 15 to the under side of the base of the upper annulus 2. The lower end of the said ladder is designed to merely rest on the bottom of the tank after the manner shown in Figure 2.

In the formation of the side wall of the tank I employ a lower circular series of arcuate T-bars 16, arranged end to end so as to form an annulus, and 1 also employ an intermediate circular series of T-bars 17, and an upper circular series of T-bars 18, the bases of all the T-bars 16, 17, and 18 being preferably channeled atopposite sides of the stem of said T-bars. 1 also employ in the formation of the side wall of the tank, upright T-bars designated by 19 and having channeled base portions, and arcuate sheets, preferablyof steel interposed between the arcuate T-bars 16, 17 and 18, and also interposed between the upright T-bars 19 and having their end portions bent upon themselves and seated in the channeled portions of the T- bars and secured in said relation through the medium of keys 7* similar to the bet-o e mentioned keys 5 best illustrated in F1 ures and 5. I would further have it understood at this point that the outer ends of the sheets 1 comprised in the bottom and top at the tank are bent upon themselves as ii heated by in Figure 2, and are disposed in chan neled portions of the bases of the lower and upper arcuate T-bars is and 18, the said end portions being seemed in the channeled portidns of the ba ":1 ot the arcuate T-bars by keys such as those described above, viz, the keys 7*.

At this )oint fl: would have it understoml that in each instanc" l ere a sheet incorpo rated in my novel tanl: it [1b11lll56lfii and the bent portion is disposed in a channel portion of an interposed bar of i aform in cross section, packing may when deemed expedient be interposed between the base of the 'T-bar and the adjacent bent portion of 2 sheet.

I would also have it understood in this connection that because of the inherent resiliency in the sheets contipriscd in my novel tank, the bent end portions will tend to spring away from the major portions of the sheets and in so doing will exert pressure against the interposed packing and m that way will give rise to such frictional contact that casual displacement of any one 01 the keys 5*, 6 or 7 will be precluded.

It will be appreciated from the :lioregoing that atank characterized as herein described is'susceptible of being taken down and rebuilt with facility and this with practically no damage to the material employed.

It will also be appreciated that when knocked down, a tank of my invention may be readily moved from one point of use to another and then may be set up without the employment of skilled labor and without the employment ofany parts or elements other than those comprised in the tank when originally set up.

I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrangement of the parts embraced in the present and preferred embodimentor my invention in order to mpart a full, clear and exact understand- ,ing of the said embodiment. I do not desire,

however, to be understood as limiting myself to the same. i i

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. A knock-down device comprising a member having a stem and a channeled porion at one side of the stem, a sheet metal section having a resilient portion bent upon its major portion. and tending to swing awa i :trom sald ma or portion and disposed in said resilient bent portion of the sheet section under tension in the channeled portion of said member, whereby the resiliency of the bent port-ion is utilized to maintain said holding means under pressure against the stem of the member.

2. A. knockdown device comprising a nien'iber having a stem and a channeled portion at one side of the stem, a sheetmetal section having a resilient portion bent upon its major portion and tending to swing away from said major portion and disposedin said channeled portion of the member, and means cooperating with the stem for holding said resilient bent portion of the sheet section under tension in the channeled portion of said member, whereby the resiliency of the bent. portion is utilized to maintain said holding means under pressure against the stem of the member, and the said stem being apertured, and the said holding means being in the form of a wedge disposed in said aperture of the stem and againstsaid bent portion of the section,

. 3. A knock-down device. comprising a member having a stem and a channeled portion at one side of the stem, a sheet metal section having a resilient portion bent upon its major portion and tending to swing away from said major portion and disposed in said channeled portion of the member, and means cooperating with the stem'jfor holding said resilient bent portion of the sheet section under tension in the channeled portion'o't' said member, whereby theresiliency of the bent port-ion is utilized to maintain said' holding means under pressure a'gainst'the stem or the member, in combination with'packing disposed in the channeled portion of the member and between the bottom ofsaid channeled portion and the said bent portion of thesection. i at. A knock downtank comprising members of T-lorm in cross section having apertured stems and also having channeled edge portions, sheet metal sections with resilient portions bent upon theirmajor portions and tending to spring away from their major portions, tapered keys disposed in the aperturedstem and arranged to hold the bent portion of the sheet metal sections under tension.

in the channeled ec portions of the men1 bers, whereby said bent portions exert pres sure against and retainsaid tapered keys in engagement with the stems ofthe members.

5. A knock down itank'comprising lower and upper annuli of T-form in cross section,

heads of the annuli, wedges disposed in the apertures of the annuli stems or flanges and above the inner portions of the sector shaped sections and the discs, radial bars of T-form in cross section having their heads disposed below and joining portions of the sector shaped sections and also havingapertured' stems extending between theadjoining edges of said sections and abovethe same, tapered keys or wedges arranged in the stems of said radial bars and disposed above the sector shaped sections, circular series of arcuate side bars of horizontal T-i'orm in cross-section, said bars arranged with opposed or confronting ends and having apertured stems and also having channeled head por tions, the upper of said arcuate bars receiving the outer'bent ends of the upper sector shaped sections, arcuate sheets disposed between the circular series of arc-uate side bars and having upper and lower portions bent upon themselves and disposed 1n channeled portlons of the arcuate bars, tapered keys or wedges disposed in the apertures of the arcuate bar stems and against the outer sides of the arcuate sheets, upright side bars of T-form in cross section having apertured stems and also havlng channeled head port ons receivlng 7 end portions of the arcuate sheets said sheets bent upon themselves, and tapered keys or wedges maintaining said end portions in the channeled portions of the upright bars.

6. A knock down tank comprising sheets with portions bent upon themselves, members of T-iiorm in cross section having apertured stems and also having channeled edge portions at substantial right angles to the stem, the channeled portions receiving the portions of the sheets bent upon themselves, and tapered keys disposed in the apertured stems and at right angles thereto and arranged to rest against and hold the portions of the sheets bent upon themselves under tension in the channeled portions of the head; the said portions of the sheets bent upon themselves also serving to confine in the channeled portions of the head packing means interposed between the bottoms of the channeled portions and the said portions of the sheets bent upon themselves.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ZACHARY T. ELLIS. 

